This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from my application entitled INK-JET PRINTER HEAD filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Jul. 27, 2000 and there duly assigned Serial No. 2000/43462.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet printer head, and more particularly to an ink jet printer head having an ink flow path of improved structure, capable of preventing a backflow of ink which is pushed into the ink flow path during ink discharge through a nozzle hole.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a thermal ink jet printer head discharges and ejects ink through a nozzle hole is in such a manner that a heater resistor instantly heats the ink, generating and expanding ink bubbles. Often, an ink supply path supplies ink to a plurality of ink chambers so that ink can be ejected through nozzle holes in each of the ink chambers. In addition, these plurality of ink chambers are lined up on both sides of the ink supply path. A single channel directly connects the ink supply path to an ink chamber such that the channel enters the ink chamber on the front side (the side of the ink chamber that is adjacent to or faces the ink supply path) of the ink chamber. Under such a simple configuration, during ejection of ink through the nozzle hole, a backflow is produced in the channel and in the ink supply path that can effect the performance of neighboring ink chambers. What is needed is a design of a channel that eliminates the effects of backflow on the ink supply path and on the neighboring ink chambers.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet printer head having an ink flow path of improved structure, capable of preventing backflow of ink during ink discharge through a nozzle hole, and thereby improving print quality.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved ink jet printer head.
It is also an object to provide a design of an ink jet printer that eliminates backflow to the ink supply path and to neighboring nozzles upon ejection of ink by one or many nozzle holes.
It is further an object to provide a channel that supplies ink to an ink chamber that enters the ink chamber on the rear side (the side of the ink chamber that is oppositely facing the ink supply line).
It is still yet another object to provide an ink channel with three legs, all at right angles to each other, to supply ink to an ink chamber from an ink supply line.
It is further yet another object to provide varying widths to each of the three legs of the ink channel to absorb the backflow caused during ink ejection.
These and other objects are accomplished by an ink jet printer head including a plurality of nozzle plates having nozzle holes, a plurality of ink chambers symmetrically disposed on both sides of an ink supply path and communicated with nozzle holes, and a plurality of ink channels communicating the ink supply path with the ink chambers, respectively, the ink channels being connected to rear sides of the ink chambers of which front sides face the ink supply path.
According to the ink jet printer head of the present invention as described above, it is preferable that the ink channels include at least one buffer preventing a backflow of ink and more than two ink direction shifting sections.
The object of the present invention is accomplished by the ink jet printer head having a plurality of nozzle plates having nozzle holes, a plurality of ink chambers symmetrically disposed on both sides of an ink supply path, and the ink channels communicating the ink supply path with each ink chamber, the ink channels include a first ink channel formed at a right angle to the ink supply path in parallel relation with the ink chamber, a second ink channel formed at a right angle to the first ink channel in parallel relation with the ink supply path across the ink chamber, and a third ink channel connecting the second ink channel to the rear side of the ink chamber of which front side faces the ink supply path.
According to the ink jet printer head of the present invention as described above, it is preferable that a length of the first ink channel is longer than those of the second and third ink channels, respectively, and a length of the second ink channel is longer than that of the third ink channel.
Also it is preferable that a cross sectional width of the second ink channel is identical to or wider than that of the first ink channel, and a cross sectional width of the first ink channel is identical to or wider than that of the third ink channel.
According to the ink jet printer head of the present invention as described above, the ink jet printer head further includes an ink guiding section and is preferably extended from the ink supply path to the first ink channel, for guiding ink flow. Also it is preferable that a width of the ink channel is narrower than that of a heater resistor disposed inside the ink chamber, and a length of the ink channel is shorter than a half length of a head chip.